Bethune Beach is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

Volusia County, Florida Volusia County (, ) is located in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Florida, stretching between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the county was home to 553,543 people, an incr ...

, United States. It is an urban residential single-family zoned community known for its peace, quiet and quaintness. It was once the only beach African Americans were permitted to use in the county and is named for

Mary McLeod Bethune Mary Jane McLeod Bethune ( McLeod; July 10, 1875 – May 18, 1955) was an American educator, philanthropist, humanitarian, womanist, and civil rights activist. Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women in 1935, established the organi ...

who helped organize a wade-in in support of desegregation.https://www.jacksonville.com/story/entertainment/books/2016/01/16/book-review-mary-mcleod-bethune-bringing-social-justice/15696308007/

Bethune Beach is located south of New Smyrna Beach (with Silver Sands between), and its southern border is the northern end of the

Canaveral National Seashore The Canaveral National Seashore (CANA) is a National Seashore located between New Smyrna Beach and Titusville, Florida, in Volusia and Brevard Counties. The park, located on a barrier island, was created on January 3, 1975, by an act of Congress ...

. Due to its remote location, Bethune Beach is accessible by only one road, County Road A1A, entry being permitted only from the north. There is no outlet to the mainland, and the Canaveral National Seashore and the

Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten field centers. Since December 196 ...

lie to the south.

History

The area had the only beach that

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

were permitted to use in Volusia County during the first half of the twentieth century and is named after educator Dr.

, founder of Bethune-Cookman College. Bethune Beach 2

In 2007, Bethune Beach residents overwhelmingly voted to reject an annexation attempt by New Smyrna Beach. This area is known for its no-drive beach and proximity to Atlantic Ocean and Indian River on either side.

References

Unincorporated communities in Volusia County, Florida Unincorporated communities in Florida Populated coastal places in Florida on the Atlantic Ocean Beaches of Volusia County, Florida Beaches of Florida African-American resorts {{VolusiaCountyFL-geo-stub